Our Home for the Holidays

We are ready to start and make this little apartment feel like home. Above is the view of the big city from our pool and grass area. Turn around and you can't see our place, but you can see part of the railing of our balcony.

The one on the bottom of the photo with the glass and shade covered balcony is floor 10, so go up 4 and you're at floor 14 and here on the west end of the building is our little corner of the world.

I almost finished unpacking today - just going through the last few piles of random clutter and papers. Our address is Los Militares 5300, apartamento #144, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile. Here's where we are on Google Maps.

We've started to get in the Christmas Spirit. Sunday we assigned the kids to make a lego tree, which they did, but then we decided it would be too small for our presents. Then it got broken. Then they were assigned to make a Nativity Scene.


They don't have all the legos they were used to working with from Utah, but with the ones on hand and a little toilet paper creativity, they were able to make a very nice manger, Joseph, Mary, and one shepherd.


At least that's all that survived until today when I finally got the camera out. They had made several wise men and camels, sheep, a donkey, and the star. But then Abi and Lily got to them or they decided they needed the pieces for their spaceships. We'll try to get the rest of the scene figures together in time for St. Nick to enjoy on Friday night.

Joseph and baby Jesus

The Mother Mary and her Child.
Love the single lego pieces on their heads holding on the tp.

The Shepherd, from the shadow he's apparently seeing the choir of angels singing Hallelujah! And that is what we did today for our Christmas week - we got some Christmas Music! Thank you Corey! He introduced me to PayPlay and they had Mannheim Steamroller!!
I've teared up a few times as I listen to the music - I'm transported back in time to 1984, I think of growing up and sitting in our living room seeing all the trees, listening to this same music, Neil and I pretending we were amazing musicians playing the songs for Ridgecrest Elementary, everyone in awe at how awesome we are! Music is the secret ingredient to making memories. When I put in music from my mission, all the feelings come back and I can remember a singular moment in time driving along Apache Boulevard with my hand out the window, or my last p-day in Chandler before coming home and listening to The Forgotten Tales, I was not His Father. Music is key! I'm excited to play this music 24/7 this week and give my kids a key to their time machine, they'll be able to transport here to Santiago when they are older just by pushing play on their Manheim CD. Love you Mom and Dad, this music reminds me of you!